With the semi-bleak outlook of today’s economy, we are all becoming increasingly concerned with cutting costs and saving money. But, not only is it important to save cents…We are looking for ways to “save cents” that also “make sense.” What better way can we save money than by similarly cutting energy costs? If we can simply implement these easy energy and money saving strategies, we will all be expanding our wallets and resting our weary minds before we know it.

1- Good Quality Curtains

The strategy topping our energy-saving list is that of hanging good quality curtains. This may seem like a menial task; however, if it is done correctly, it will save energy and money by acting as an insulator, reducing heating and cooling costs.

For added energy-saving creds, get thermal or blackout lining sewn into your curtains or blinds and increase their insulating properties by up to 25%.

2- Thermostat

To further reduce expenditures, pay close attention to the setting on the thermostat–it should be set as low as is comfortable in both the winter and the summer. Dialling down just 1°C can save you £30 annually.

3- Switch off Switches and Appliances

Always switch of your plug sockets when you’re not using them. You can save tonnes of energy every year if you simply turn off your TV at the plug socket every night. Did you know that your DVD player consumes 85% of the power it uses, when it isn’t even in use? Not only this, but for things such as mobile phones and MP3 players, once they’ve finished charging you’re helping to preserve the life of the battery by unplugging it.

4-Stick Foil Behind Your Radiators

One of the easiest and most effective ways to save money and keep heat in is to stick some ordinary kitchen foil behind your radiators (shiny side facing the radiator). Sure, you can go out and buy expensive insulation to stuff behind there, but this is just as efffective at a fraction of the price.

5-Give your Tumble Dryer a Break

With summer looming, make use of the sunshine and dry your clothes outside. If you don’t have a garden or balcony, try installing a make-shift washing line in front of a window. Not only will you cut your energy bill, you’ll cut down on ironing time, which of course, is what really matters!

6- Set your Timer

With this summer expected to be one of the hottest to date (where have we heard that before?!), using your central heating should be done as rarely as possible. However, if you insist on using it, make sure to set your timer to switch off 30 minutes before you leave the house, and no more than 30 minutes before you’re due to get home. If your heating takes longer to kick in, you should seriously think about insulating your home better.

7- Plant Trees

Planting deciduous trees on the south and west sides of your home to keep it cool and shady in the summer and light-filled through the winter is probably one of the ‘greenest’ things you can do save energy.

8- Replace Lightbulbs

Consider replacing regular light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs or CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs). They last about 10-15 times longer than regular bulbs and save you around £9 a year if you change all the lights in your house. On average, you save about £100 over the bulb’s lifetime.

9-Insulate Drafts

Find and seal cracks, gaps, and leaks and add insulation to protect the home against air loss. This practice alone could potentially save 20% on heating and cooling costs. To locate possible leaks, use a lit incense stick and hold it next to an area with a potential outside air pathway (doors, windows, electrical boxes…). If the smoke flows horizontally, this indicates a leak that needs attention.

10-Regular Servicing

Finally, as a general rule of thumb, have heating and cooling systems serviced once a year to ensure optimum performance efficiency.

By completing these 10 simple tips, you can save yourself time, energy, and money. In today’s society, we need all three, and everything always makes more sense when we’re saving cents.

If you are at all health-conscious and are concerned about germs spreading rapidly, as many are with the recent scare of the swine flu, there are many precautionary measures that you can take to ensure that the areas we frequent the most can be as close to 100% sterilization as possible. One of the newest innovations in self-sterilization methods is a product called Cliniweave, which is an anti-bacterial treatment product which inhibits the reproduction of harmful bacteria that can cause infectious and even lethal diseases.

The term “superbugs” has been coined as of late. This term basically refers to microbial agents that can cause viral infections and many other types of adverse health conditions. The issue of superbugs has been brought up in the health care industry, as many hospitals have had increasing difficulty in dealing with the problem of superbugs, and keeping hospital rooms free from any infectious threats.

With the introduction of Cliniweave, anything that is used in a hospital, such as hospital gowns, linens for hospital beds, etc. can all be treated with this revolutionary product and increase effectiveness in fighting infections.

Recent studies have shown that treating everyday items used everyday — paint on your walls, light switches, clothing, shoes, pet areas, etc. — with Cliniweave dramatically reduces the risk of any harmful and possibly lethal infections that can be caused by these unseen superbugs.

For the average consumer, Cliniweave can benefit you greatly in the comfort of your own home. As superbugs have a tendency to enter into your home near windows and other such openings, curtains which are treated with Cliniweave can prove highly effective in fighting off illnesses which could infect your family. Your curtains can act as a trap for these microbial bugs, and effectivelyneutralize any type of bacterial intrusion attempting to enter into your home. Once the superbugs come into contact with the curtains, they are utterly destroyed and a highly effective rate.

By using Cliniweave to treat your curtains, you’re not only arming yourself suitably to fight against the superbugs, but you are setting up your curtains to be an excellent line of defense against them, as they can infiltrate at the exact same points of entry that you do( sliding glass doors, windows, etc.). By treating everything inside your home, especially curtains, with Cliniweave, you can more than adequately reduce the risk of infectious diseases that may otherwise pose a threat to your comfortable home.

1. Test Cleaning Products

When using cleaning products designed for upholstery fabrics, check the packaging to make sure that it is appropriate for the particular type of fabric you want to clean. There are certain cleaners for certain fabrics and if you get the wrong type you could damage your furniture.
2. Read The Instructions!

Before using any cleaning product on textile fabrics, even when following directions on the packaging, test a small amount of it on a part of fabric that is not visible, such as the underside of a sofa’s skirt. Don’t test it on the back as you may want to move the furniture one day and could reveal any damage on the test spot.
3. Use Spray-On Products Where Possible

It is a good idea to use fabric protecting products on your textile furnishings, widely available in spray-on formulas. They will not stop your furniture from getting dirty or stained but do provide a useful added layer of protection.
4. Baking Powder

An easy and inexpensive way to freshen textile furnishings without risk of damage is to sprinkle the surfaces with baking powder. Let the powder sit for several minutes, then vacuum the furniture. The baking powder will absorb smells and leave your furniture refreshed.
5. Baby Wipes

For spot cleaning on leather and fabric upholstery, try using a baby wipe. They contain very gentle soap that can remove minor stains.
6. Clean White Cloths

When cleaning textile furnishings of any kind, only use clean white cloths. Even well-used rags are not always colorfast, and cleaning chemicals can bleed dye out of cloths and onto furniture.
7. Lint Brush

To prevent the need for big cleaning jobs, regularly clean your textile furnishings with a lint brush and vacuum cleaner. Rotate and flip cushions regularly so they all get even wear and fading. Covering furniture with a throw can extend cleanliness and the life of your furnishings.
8. Cold Water & White Vinegar

To freshen textile furnishings without harsh chemicals, mix cold water with a little white vinegar in a spray bottle, and spritz surfaces with it. The smell of the vinegar will quickly dissipate, leaving your furniture smelling clean and fresh.
9. Ventilation

During and after cleaning your textile furnishings, open all the windows in the room and turn on fans. This is healthier for you when you clean with chemicals as the room is well ventilated, and it helps the upholstery dry faster while blowing musty smells away.
10. Washing Instructions

When washing removable textile covers, always look for a label instructing you how they should be washed and follow those instructions. Also, if you wash one cover, wash them all so that all the fabric fades evenly.

This interesting video on how to make Roman Blinds gives an excellent insight into how roman blings are made.

To make a roman blind you will need to measure the inside width of your window frame, add 10 cm to this number and cut your fabric. Now measure the inside height of your window frame and add 10 cm, for top and bottom hems, to the length plus and additional 5 cm for each rod you wish to add. An average roman blind will have 4-6 rodded sections.

Now that you have your fabric cut to size you need to finish your side edges by folding, pinning, ironing 2.5 cm on each side. Repeat and top stitch for a beautiful finished edge, you may wish to use a fancy stitch on your machine.

Measure and mark each section of your blind, remember to add the 5 cm rod pocket space between each section. Fold, pin, iron and sew the rod pocket for each section. Measure your rods to be sure they are 3 cm shorter than your blind panel to allow room to hand stitch the rod pockets closed.

Fold, pin, iron and stitch the top and bottom edges of your blind. Stitch the fuzzy side of a strip of Velcro along the top and bottom edges. Glue the scratchy side of the Velcro strip to the top and bottom batten. Use the Velcro to attach the blind to the top and bottom battens.

Measure 12 cm in from each edge and hand stitch a plastic ring to the back of the rod pocket. You may wish to adjust this measurement depending on the width of your window or add a third row of rings. Measure 12 cm from each edge and add a screw eye to the top and bottom battens. Begin at the bottom with a large knot below the screw eye and thread a heavy cord up through all the plastic rings. End with a large knot above the top screw eye and leave extra cord hanging to act as your pull string. Add a coordinating pull bob to the bottom of your pull cord and use an L bracket to secure your blind to the wall.

To personalize your blinds you may wish to add fancy trim to your blind. These are easily stitched to the rod pockets when you create the pockets. Another nice touch is to use ornamental push pins across the top batten and smaller matching pins across each rod pocket.

View the complete range of custom Roman blinds available to order today.

To avoid mistakes, your curtain pole or track should be in place already. If you make calculations without a pole or track, you are more likely to get incorrect measurements. We advise you use a metal tape measure for accuracy. Measurements should be in cm to the nearest 1/2 cm. Please double-check your measurements.

1. Measure Width

If you have a pole, measure the distance between the finials (the decorative baubles at the end of a pole).

If you have a track, measure the total length of the track.

2. Measuring Curtain Drop

Before you start, you have to decide where you want your curtains to finish. For floor-length curtains, we suggest curtains 1.5cm longer than floor-length. If your floors are uneven, make sure you measure each side of the window and choose the longest measurement. For sill length curtains, we suggest either 15cm below the sill or 1-2cm above it.

Measuring Drop for Tab Top and Eyelet

For tab top or eyelet curtains, measure the drop from the top of your pole to where you want your curtain to finish. (Please note:tab top and eyelet headed curtains cannot be fitted to a track.)

Measuring Curtain Drop For Pleated Headings (all except Tab Top & Eyelet)

The total drop for pleated headings is measured in 2 parts – the eye drop and the heading height.

Part 1. Eye Drop

This is the distance from the eye (where the curtain hook attaches) to where you want your curtain to finish.

Part 2. Heading Height

The heading height is the distance from the eye to where you want the top of your curtain to be.

For tracks, we suggest a heading height just above the top of your track so that it is not visible above the top of the curtain.

For poles, we suggest a heading height from 2cm above the eye to just above your curtain pole according to your own taste. Curtains will hang best with a smaller heading height.

How to measure for blinds

1. Inside Recess

• 1. Measure width A-B at the narrowest point so your blind can hang freely
• 2. Measure Drop C-D
• 3. Note which side you would like the cord – right or left

2. Outside Recess

First check for obstructions that might stop your blind hanging freely and then decide on the amount of fabric to overlap the top and sides of the window recess. We recommend at least 5cm for both.

1. Measure the width you decide on, A-B
2. Measure the drop you decide on, C-D
3. Note which side you would like the cord – right or left